On Wednesday, one of Tim's students arrived in Arusha. He is here to learn what field work (in all its glory and...un-glory?) is all about. For 4 weeks he will follow Tim everywhere: he will experience grocery shopping and learn that getting everything requires a stop at four different stores; he will be there when Tim has to buy parts for the Suzuki and stand around with the mechanics while the car is being fixed; he will visit three different banks in an attempt to withdraw money; he will greet the askaris and house staff every morning coming to know them as familiar faces; and, most importantly, he will live at camp and observe field interviews with the Maasai.
On Thursday night Andrew (his real name is not used) excused himself from dinner a little early because he wasn't feeling well, "a little bit of an upset stomach..." he said. Since he's on malaria prophylaxis, and had not, to our knowledge, eaten anything "dangerous" we made sure he had some pepto and said goodnight.
That night I was awoken, at 1:30 am, from a deep sleep by Tim- "Kiyah. We're going to the hospital." In the span of just 5 hours, Andrew had 13 bouts of diarrhea and had thrown up 4 times. At the hospital they had difficulty inserting the IV because his veins had collapsed from dehydration, and he fainted on their 4th or 5th attempt to get it into his hand. After one night and full day in the hospital, he was discharged and came home looking much better but "smelling like an old man (in his own words)."
All it took was two nights in Africa. Judith (our landlady) said it was a new record. Reflecting on Andrew and Tim's experiences, I couldn't help but be immensely grateful that Eleanor and I have, for the most part, escaped a similar fate (knock on wood). If I get through this year with the occasional loose stool, bloating, and weight gain that I've experienced so far I'll take it without complaint. Compared to a night in a Tanzanian hospital, those things are a cakewalk.
-kjd
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poor kid!
ReplyDeleteSo what was it? Food poisoning? Reaction to medication?
ReplyDeleteHealth issues like this are notoriously under-diagnosed here...or simply not diagnosed at all. He was told that it was a bacterial infection because his white blood cell count was elevated, but there are MANY things that will cause your white blood cell count to be elevated so that really doesn't mean anything. When I came home from trying to visit he and Tim (I was turned away because it was not visiting hours- which seemed to be the one rule that actually WAS enforced in the hospital) one of the staff said, in all seriousness, "Probably it's the weather." I wouldn't be surprised to hear a doctor say the same thing. So, what was it...I think we may never know!
ReplyDeleteHe was also denied water around 4am because he needed to pay for it and he didn't have any money.
ReplyDeleteGeez! Poor guy . . . what a way to be introduced to his Africa experience! Hope the ensuing week have gone better for him--I assume he's made a trip to the bush by now? Oh, and for the record, I don't think any of us here (in the comfort of our usual environs) would say ANY of you have been experiencing a cake walk, regardless of the number of visits to the hospital!! Dad
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